1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer security and more specifically to methods and systems for the authentication of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Internet commerce has increased dramatically over the last several years. As a result, several different on-line payment methods have been created. In one payment method, the buyer simply types a credit card number into an on-line payment webpage to pay for the goods or services provided by an on-line merchant. In another payment method, the buyer uses an on-line payment service to pay for the goods or services provided by an on-line merchant. The on-line payment service allows the buyer to pay the on-line merchant via the Internet using funds that are available in a bank account or on a credit card. The on-line payment service holds the account information, not the on-line merchant, and therefore the on-line payment service may protect the buyer from unlawful use of the buyer's account.
Even though on-line payment services are effective in providing a more secure means of on-line payment between the buyer and the on-line merchant as compared to paying by a credit card number or a personal check, on-line payment services typically require a single factor of authentication to verify that the buyer is actually the owner of the account. For example, the on-line payment service may require the buyer to input an email address and a password to make an on-line payment. However, the single factor of authentication, such as the email address and password, can be easily stolen by a computer hacker. This may result in the unlawful use of the buyer's account, which is a common form of identity theft.
In addition to Internet commerce, many banks now offer on-line banking which allows customers to access their accounts via the Internet. On-line banking allows a customer to perform routine transactions, such as account transfers, balance inquiries, bill payments, and stop-payment requests from a remote computer. In addition, some banks allow their customers to apply for loans and credit cards on-line as well. Similar to on-line payment services, to access the account information or apply for a loan or a credit card on-line, a bank usually requires only one factor of authentication to verify that an on-line customer is actually the owner of the account. For example, the bank may require the customer to input a username and a password to access the account. Again, the single factor of authentication, such as the username and password, can be easily stolen by a computer hacker, which may result in the unlawful use of the customer's account.
As the foregoing illustrates, there is a need in the art for a way to verify the identities of on-line customers that is more secure than current approaches.